


That's Where It Is

by Enigel



Category: Cabin Pressure
Genre: First Kiss, Kissing, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2011-07-25
Updated: 2011-07-25
Packaged: 2017-10-24 02:20:20
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,292
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/257815
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Enigel/pseuds/Enigel
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p><a href="http://cabinpres-fic.livejournal.com/728.html?thread=1151960#t1151960">"Martin's a nervous kisser at first, but give him a minute and he'll knock your socks off."</a></p>
            </blockquote>





	That's Where It Is

"Most hosties will go for a quick snog. That's your opening, that's your chance to persuade the lady that she does indeed want to take things further into a bed - or, well, the private setting of your choice, if you're feeling frisky, but I was thinking that for you, as a beginner, the traditional choice would be the best."

Martin felt his cheeks going hotter.

"Douglas! We're not discussing this!"

"I refute your argument thus, Martin: we are discussing this. So, as I was saying, the quick snog is the best sales pitch you can hope for. That is the crucial moment that decides if you're going to spend the night with a Helga or Suzanne - or again with old Gerti. We've got to make sure your kissing skills are up to par."

"Douglas, I... I know you won't believe me, but I'm actually all right in that area. It's the 'convincing them to snog in the first place' part that's giving me trouble."

"Hmm."

Douglas could pack a lot of condescending disbelief in a simple 'hmm'.

"Is it so hard to believe that I might be a good kisser?"

"Well, not to put too fine a point on it, but there's a reason they say 'practice makes perfect'. How much practice are you getting, Captain?"

"That's not fair. You know I'm... well, you know how it is."

"Exactly. But, because I am wonderful and generous like that, I am willing to give you some lessons."

"What, am I going to hide in the closet while you snog Helga from Air Finland?"

"Practical lessons, Martin. Private tutoring, if you will."

Martin gaped, not willing to believe what he thought Douglas was saying. Douglas smirked.

"You're just winding me up. You can't really mean _that_."

"Well, I don't know what you might have inferred, Captain, so I'll say it plainly: Martin, I'm willing to give you kissing lessons. With me."

"Douglas, what's with the obsessive interest in the state of my love life and- skills?" Martin asked shrewdly, watching Douglas closely. He sharpened his hearing, waiting for it.

Douglas' eyebrows rose in a typical expression of mild reprove. "Interest? You're mistaking lack of better things to do with actual preoccupation."

And there it was, the subtle nuance that distinguished Douglas being genuinely nonchalant and uncaring from Douglas _feigning_ nonchalance. It had taken Martin quite a while to learn the differences, but he'd had plenty of opportunities to observe them, with the many hours they spent discussing subjects that mattered or didn't matter to both of them.

"Douglas. There's a difference between discussing my love life as an alternative to charades with Arthur, and offering me private kissing lessons."

"The difference is between being bored, and being bored and generous. One of the finest traditions of the cockpit is sharing the stories from the previous night, or whenever the layover and the associated conquest occurred. I was thinking we could do that, now that I'm back in the game."

"Douglas--"

"But clearly, you are above help from the man who threw away more little paper slips with phone numbers than other men receive in their lives."

"Douglas--"

"I was willing to share my gifts. Thought you might even be grateful."

"Douglas! You just want to show off, don't you?"

"Martin, you saw me with Helga. Do you think I need to show off?"

"Fine."

"'Fine'?" Douglas inquired loftily.

Martin rolled his eyes. "I mean, yes, please, do teach me how it's done."

"Well, if you ask so nicely..."

Douglas turned his attention back to flying the plane, while Martin smiled to himself.

* * *

They were standing in the middle of the hotel room, Douglas relaxed, Martin fidgeting.

The first try had gone pretty much like Douglas expected. Martin's arms were by his sides the whole time, their mouths the only point of contact. Martin's lips were hesitant and rigid, he somehow made their noses bump, and if they had got as far as French-kissing, Douglas was sure their teeth would have clacked painfully.

"Martin, this is no way to win someone over."

"I know, look, this is not my best, I'm not- it's not- I can't just kiss someone like that. The mood has to be right, and the- person has to be the right one and-"

Douglas rolled his eyes, refusing to be stung by the last remark.

"Oh come on, Martin, you can imagine a thousand stewardesses, a hundred otters, but not one perfect date?"

"Well-" Martin passed a hand through his hair, then sighed. "All right. One more try."

"Good. Now," he said, firmly gripping Martin in his arms, "imagine this _is_ the perfect circumstance." He lowered his mouth to Martin's ear, whispering. "The person you want, a lovely room at the Excelsior instead of a box in the Roach and Sons. Close your eyes if you have to," he added softly, ignoring the way his chest constricted when he said it.

Martin's hands settled hesitantly on Douglas' shoulders.

Their lips met again. Douglas licked them gently, and Martin opened his mouth to his. There was something resolute about his gesture, and Douglas could imagine him thinking 'I'm going to get this right, even if it kills me', approaching it like an operating procedure. Douglas hoped he could show him just how much fun kissing could be.

Douglas coaxed Martin's tongue into tangling with his. He licked boldly at Martin's teeth, then pulled back a little to mash his lips messily over Martin's, getting their faces slick with spit.

Martin made a little sound in the back of his throat, and his hands clutched at Douglas' shoulders. He licked at Douglas' lips, starting with delicate touches with the tip of his tongue, progressing to broader swipes that nudged his lips apart, then he nibbled gently, just short of biting, at Douglas' lower lip.

One of Martin's hands clutched at Douglas' hair, ruffling it, massaging into the scalp; Martin's other hand cupped Douglas' jaw, sliding towards his neck with the barest hint of nails.

Their mouths were perfectly fit together now, a hint of stubble teasing at Douglas' chin while Martin sucked Douglas' tongue in his mouth. More of those whimpering sounds vibrated between their bodies, and Douglas became aware that some of the moans were his.

He also realised that he was the one with his eyes closed, seeing swirly stars and lost in the moment. He never kissed with his eyes closed! He was always the aware one, always carefully seducing and planning his movements, but somehow, during the hazy moments (minutes?) that had passed, Martin had taken control of the kiss. And Douglas found the results delightful.

They were pressed up tightly against each other, and there was no mistaking the hardness meeting Douglas' own through their clothes.

Douglas opened his eyes and pulled back a fraction of the distance, just as much as he needed to get a look at Martin's face.

Martin's cheeks were flushed and red. When Douglas looked at him, Martin averted his eyes, blinking, and bit his lower lip - his deliciously reddened, slightly swollen lower lip - in a self-conscious gesture.

"Like I said." Martin's voice was rough, throaty. "My problems are with convincing them to try the snogging in the first place. It's so much easier if the initiative is theirs."

"Is it now?" Douglas murmured, still dazed.

"So, do you think... If I were with-- that person I wanted to persuade...Was that- convincing enough?"

Douglas quirked his mouth, which was still tingling from their kiss.

"Oh, I think you'd better have been in a private place already."

Martin leaned up to whisper against Douglas' earlobe. "Such as, for example, a hotel room?"

"A hotel room would do nicely," Douglas agreed, shivering in anticipation.


End file.
